One family manages to survive them all in Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth; Stage Center’s latest production was produced by Anna Antaramian and directed by Dan Wirth. This play takes us through three scenes in the strange life of the Antrobus family. Although the play is a little confusing to begin with, this is not because of the talent involved. It’s just the way the play was written, and it eventually smoothes itself out.
The Antrobus’ are living in a time where their pets are a baby wooly mammoth (Rachel Backing) and a baby dinosaur (Sara Louise Moss), both unfortunately have to be put outside to brave the oncoming glacier, so as to make room for the humans in the house. Not to spoil the story, but mammoths and dinosaurs become extinct. They also live in the present day of 2007, where Mr. Antrobus (Kyle Young) gets elected as President of the Mammals, and he and his lovely wife (Wendy Silva) have to herd all the animals, two of each, onto a boat to survive the incoming storm. Later, having survived the previous catastrophes the family moves on to endure The War. The Announcer (Smedley Hooper) and Sabina (Stephanie Wyatt), the maid, help walk the audience through time, sometimes telling us what is going on, and other times, pushing us through.
Young and Silva played a married couple as if they were really married and Ryan Weel and Amanda Rzany portrayed the Antrobus children as youths with the enthusiasm of, well, children; as adults they were dynamic. Kara Ewinger plays a Fortune Teller with fanaticism and Wyatt steals the show at several points. With a cast of 36 characters portrayed by 19 actors, there are several actors that play multiple roles in this production, and they all do an exceptional job. David Mitchell donned three hats (well, two actual hats and one imaginary one), in a demonstration of his versatility; the Independent’s own Duncan Macnab partied with the Conveeners as well as being a Doctor (in a brilliant display of amateur acting, now this is not to say it was bad.)
Stage Center has, once again, found wonderful talent in NEIU’s student body and brought a classic story to life on its stage. If you didn’t get a chance to see this production, please watch for upcoming performances, they will be worth your time.